The secret language of real estate agents

Real estate agents perform a valuable job for both buyers and sellers, but it’s their aim to find the most buyers for properties they have listed, so their descriptions can often be a little on the optimistic side.

Here’s our guide to how agents may answer your questions, and the real meaning that could lie hidden behind their words.

What size is the property?

This property is very low maintenance = it’s small
It’s cute = cramped
It’s cosy = tiny
It’s unique = really strange

What condition is it in?

It’s filled with character features = it’s dilapidated
A handyman special = get ready to spend some money
The place is spotless = no one has lived there for years
It’s a retro special = it hasn’t been touched in a generation
It’s a blank canvas = it’s derelict

Where is it located?

It’s in a purpose-built area = it’s in a large housing estate
This will suit a first-time buyer = it’s in a terrible location
Excellent transport links = it’s next to a busy freeway
An idyllic setting = no shops, schools, or neighbours for miles around

What about the price?

Owner says sell = it’s about to be repossessed
The property has become unexpectedly re-available = the previous buyer pulled out
Asking price has been reduced = the owner is desperate

Of course, there are many other players in the property space, such as buyers agents, sellers agents, property strategists, project marketers and mortgage brokers, each with their own area of interest and their own secret language.

To be successful, you must know where to buy, what to buy, how much to pay and if you own a property, when the right time to sell has arrived.

You need to know which strategy is right for you, and how to make the best investment decisions.

About John Lindeman John Lindeman has well over a decade of experience researching the nature and dynamics of various types of assets at major data analysts and is a leading property market researcher, author and commentator. For more information visit Lindeman Reports.